http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20021005-695758.htm EDITORIAL â?¢ October 5, 2002 Big Brother's national ID card A national Identification card â?? complete with biometic identifiers, such as fingerprints or retinal scans â?? is coming. Only it's not being called that. House Resolution 4633 â?? the Driver's License Modernization Act of 2002 â?? would effectively create a national ID if it's passed. The bill would require each state to adopt a uniform standard for driver's licenses and link their motor vehicle databases to a central computer registry. H.R. 4633 would "amend title 23, United States Code, to establish standards for state programs for the issuance of drivers' licenses and identification cards, and for other purposes." It would make use of "encoded biometric data matching the holder of the license or card." In other words, American citizens who have never committed any crime would be subject to fingerprinting (or something similar, such as a retinal scan) and compelled to carry a card with an embedded computer chip containing reams of personal information. What the legislation calls for is, in fact, a national ID card that every adult American would effectively be forced to carry. The only way to opt out would be to give up one's driver's license â?? something that is not practical in an era when, outside of major cities, being able to drive is a necessity without which one cannot secure or maintain employment. And like the now-ubiquitous Social Security number â?? which, recall, was "never to be used for identification purposes," but which is now almost impossible to conduct any business without â?? the coming national ID/driver's license will almost certainly become an item without which one cannot open a bank account, obtain a credit card, purchase a car or home, and so on. As Eric Skrum of the National Motorists Association put it recently: "Ultimately, anybody in any state with a card reader would be able to look up your personal driving record, credit rating, Social Security number, health information, personal address, and anything else the government would force you to divulge in order to 'voluntarily' obtain a driver's license." They can call it whatever they want, but the end result will be the same. This bill should be rejected as being incompatible with a free society.
This reminds me of the prophesy of "the mark of the beast" and when they wanted to put identifiers on people. They said that it was to protect them and say if your baby were to come up missing they could locate it immediately. On the surface it sounded good, but when you start to think about it, it's freaky!
I've often thought of FICO and credit scoring that way - wasn't there something about a 3-digit number we would all have? Anyone have a score of 666? Oh well! Halloween is upon us!
Oh well, at least a revolution wouldn't be bloody - blow up computers instead of people, hehe. I heard it wouldn't be a card, but a chip that's embedded under the skin.
For once, liberals and conservatives are agreeing on something - look at the groups the ACLU is representing on this issue (scroll down): http://www.aclu.org/congress/l062702b.html Yikes!! Moran is a Democrat and Davis is a Republican, and they are both from Virginia!! I think I will move to another state.
I'm going to make sure the back of my neck is nice and smooth for the bar code. Can anyone recommend a good hair removal cream? wajaba
bumping, and swaying, and nodding, and singing with you Sassy!!!! first, it's the id cards, then its the chip implants (they already using them on prisoners). humblemarc
Flicking my bic with you, marc!!!!! And don't forget Experian INTERNATIONAL! (insert shivers here) I didn't know they were using chips on prisoners, really? Interesting, I know they've a mandatory dna database for felons. Scarier by the day! Sassy
Very scary indeed. I wonder how much eyeballs and index fingers would go for on the black market... I'm sure at some point, the card would include your credit rating, employment history, criminal history, marital status, insurance history... The obvious drawback is that a person could Never overcome or outgrow their past. It all kind of hearkens back to the "this will go on your Permanent Record" threat we heard as kids. I met a guy once that had tattoed a bar code of his SS# onto his arm. It was one of the coolest, yet scariest tattos I had come across. Has anyone heard any more about the permanent phone numbers that were being considered? You could move anywhere in the country but you'd always keep the same #. Good points and bad points, I guess...
